INTRODUCTION: This devotional series is based on J.I. Packer’s classic work, Knowing God. There is no greater quest, no more important activity, nothing that should be a higher priority than getting to know God. Too many Christians know about God without making their time with him personal. These devotionals are designed to challenge you to ask questions of yourself, bring these questions before God, make you think, and transform your relationship with God. My prayer is that your study will overflow in emotion, in touching your heart, in connecting with God, and sharing your relationship with others. The book consists of 22 Chapters, thus this series last 22 days. Dig in!
Reflections on Chapter 7: God Unchanging
Ever wonder how we can know a God and understand his Word when the book we study was written so long ago about a culture so removed from ours? God’s life, character, truth, ways, and purposes never change. We can trust him and therefore know him.
1. God’s life does not change – from everlasting (Ps 93:2), immortal (1 Tim 6:16), incorruptible (Rom 1:23), the same (Ps 102:26f), the first and the last (Is 48:12). As creator, God has neither beginning nor end. He does not grow old, get stronger, wiser, weaker, or change for the better. He is already perfect and has the power of an indestructible life (Heb 7:16).
a. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. (Ps 93:2)
b. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. (Ps 102:27)
c. Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. (Is 48:12)
2. God’s character does not change – I am who I am (Ex 3:14), God declares his self-existence, eternal changelessness, reminding us that he has life in himself more than just a name. Exodus 34 proclaims his name through his character: “The LORD (YHWH), merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, keeping his love to a thousand generations, forgiving sin…”
3. God’s truth does not change
a. The word of the Lord stands forever”(Is 40:6)
b. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Mt 24:35)
c. Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35)
4. God’s ways do not change
a. He continues today to act toward sinful man the way he did in the Bible
b. He seeks fellowship from us, hates our sins and loves us
c. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Is 55:8-9)
5. God’s purposes do not change
a. God doesn’t change his mind
- He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind. (1 Sam 15:29)
- God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Num 23:19)
b. What he does in time, he planned for eternity and all he planned in eternity he does in time.
c. The times where he apparently changed his mind (Gen 6:6, 1 Sam 15:11, 2 Sam 24:16, Jon 3:10, Joel 2:13) suggest more about the fact that he changed how he treated man in that situation than that his purposes changed (see page 72)
When things in this world seems so uncertain,
When there is nothing you can depend on,
When all that seemed solid crumbles to the ground,
God is My Rock, My Fortress and My Deliverer… My Stronghold
The Unchangeable, My Everlasting God